A $44.6 billion 2016 fiscal year state budget approved Thursday by the Georgia House would close previous cuts to public education spending, slash funding for low-interest student loans and ask local school districts to make $103 million more in employer contributions to keep state insurance coverage for some part-time school employees.

As state lawmakers push closer to Crossover Day - the 30th day of the 40-day session when bills have to pass out of either the House or Senate, which is tentatively set for March 13 - a grab bag of news is coming out of Atlanta.

Hall County's Latino communities were left in limbo after a federal judge's ruling last week blocked President Barack Obama's executive action to protect up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.